Secret Hunger (The Harper Sisters)

by Satin Russell

  After hanging up, he sat for a moment and just stared at the phone in his hands. He really needed to get his act together and find a way to screw his head on straight. These nightmares and lack of sleep needed to go. Until that happened, no way was he going to be considered fit to serve.

  He liked being a detective and had worked damn hard for his position. Yet, every time he thought about getting back out there, his heart started to pound, his hands began to sweat, and he started experiencing a panic attack. He hated the idea of talking about what had happened to some guy who couldn’t possibly understand.

  Then again, the thought of that bastard getting away with murdering his partner had him seeing red. Like hell was that going to happen. He would just have to find a way to convince the shrink he was okay, preferably without baring his soul.

  Mason let out a self-deprecating laugh, mocking his thoughts.

  Who was he kidding? At this point he was still jumping at every loud noise. Just the other day, he had practically thrown himself down in the street when a truck had backfired. Being jumpy with a gun would only exacerbate the problem. The last thing he wanted was to be the cop who shot some unarmed kid because he thought he’d seen a weapon instead of a pack of cigarettes.

  But, what were his other options? Accepting that Mendez was walking free on the streets was not an option. Especially now there was a woman who could testify that he stalked, kidnapped, and raped her. Add to that the fact that he shot and killed a cop, and getting charges to stick on this guy would not be a problem. They just had to find him first.

  Mason wouldn’t be surprised if even now he was out there stalking his next victim. If he hadn’t picked out his next target yet, it was just a question of when. Men like him would never voluntarily give up their pursuits. He felt women were there for his use and disposal, about the same as toilet paper.

  He put the phone back on his desk and reminded himself that he wasn’t the only person on the force looking for retribution. The department was full of good people, good cops. He knew they wanted to catch the bastard almost as badly as him. He could afford to take the time to make a full recovery. He’d bought himself this time during the holidays to focus on getting better, and that’s exactly what he’d do. After the holidays were over, he’d be ready.

  Mentally shoving the issue aside, he put his boots on and headed downstairs.

  Glancing out the kitchen window, he noticed his sister was already shoveling the front walk and felt a quick pang of guilt. Logically, he realized she was perfectly capable of running this place by herself. In fact, that’s what she usually did. Still, he couldn’t help feeling bad for not being out there helping her.

  Just as he was turning to put his coat on and head out, he heard her start cussing under her breath. He made his way up the shoveled part of the walk to where she was standing. She had a handle in one hand, and the head of the shovel was lying on the ground in front of her.

  She glanced up at his approach. “Shovel broke. Dammit. I was hoping to get the whole walk cleared before my guests arrive later today. Do you think you could head into town and pick up another one? I still have to get some cookies baked and the soup started.”

  “Sure, no problem. I remember seeing a hardware store downtown. Think they’d have what you need?”

  “Frank’s Hardware. Yeah, Frank is usually pretty good about staying stocked up.”

  “Did you need me to grab anything else while I’m there?’

  “I’m all set. Did you return that phone call?”

  “Yeah.”

  She gave him a long, assessing look. “And…? How did that go?”

  “I told him I’m still trying to recover physically and that I’d call to make an appointment with the shrink after Christmas.”

  She nodded. “Ok, that works. It’ll be nice to have you around for the season. It’s been awhile since we’ve had a chance to spend it together.”

  “Yeah, it’s been awhile. I’m usually working during the holidays. You’d be amazed by how many freaky things happen this time of year.”

  “To be honest, I’d rather stay in my little bubble and believe that this is the season for peace on earth and goodwill towards men.”

  He gave her a wry smile. “Don’t worry about the walk. I’ll finish it when I get back.”

  Impulsively, she gave him a hug. “You know what this means, don’t you? Now you really won’t have an excuse for forgetting to buy me a Christmas present.”

  He laughed and wrapped his good arm around her shoulders. “Oh, I’m sure I could come up with some reason to forget.”

  She shot him a pout. “You’d better not!” With that, she made her way back to the front door.

  He watched her enter the house before letting his smile slip from his lips and heading to his truck. His hands and nose were already beginning to tingle with the cold, and he took it as a cue to get his errand done quickly.

  Well, not too quickly. Maybe he would duck into a few stores and see if he couldn’t find something special to pick up for Melody. She really had been amazing through this whole ordeal and he didn’t know what he’d have done without her.

  With that idea in mind, he threw his truck into gear, turned on the heat, and cranked up the music. The Black Keys’ pounding beat kept him company and almost managed to drown out his doubts and memories on the ride into town.

  Chapter Seven

  Sunlight patterned across Olivia’s ceiling as she slowly opened her eyes to the morning of her actual birthday. Thank goodness the café was closed on Mondays and she didn’t have to worry about rushing from the warm, comforting cocoon of her bed. She allowed herself the luxury of lingering and dozed for another fifteen minutes before her bladder insisted she get up and start the day.

  As she exited the bathroom, she peeked out her window and was dazzled by the pristine shimmer of newly fallen snow blanketing the world around her. There was nothing as glorious and pure as that first morning after a big snowstorm, with the air scrubbed clean and crisp. Snowy diamonds glinted from the fields and icicles dripped and sparkled from roof eaves and tree branches.

  If only it could stay like this and not turn muddy and brown, she thought. She slipped into her robe and slippers and made her way downstairs, adding to her list of desires; less cold would be nice, too.

  Liz turned from the coffee machine as she shuffled into the kitchen. “Oh hey, Livvy. Just started a fresh pot of coffee. I’ve gotta get going. Paul said there are a bunch of cars needing tows, and I’m guessing we’re going to be busy today.”

  “Speaking of which, I’m one of those people that needs to call for a tow for my car. Ugh, not exactly what I wanted to have to deal with on my birthday.”

  “Already on it. I told him where your car was and he said he’d call it in. We’re going to have it taken to the shop so we can check it out and make sure nothing else was messed up. I noticed the tread on your tires was starting to wear. I think that was probably a factor in your accident. We might have a set of tires in inventory that’ll fit.”

  Paul was co-owner of the mechanic shop with Liz. He had gone into business with their dad twenty years ago and was like a favorite uncle of theirs growing up. Since the accident, he’d taken on the role of mentor and benevolent father figure.

  “Wow, thanks. Tell him I appreciate it and will pay you guys back as soon as possible.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Anyway, I’m off. Fiona said she could drive you in to pick up your car later today, if you’d like.”

  She strode towards the door, her boots clomping against the hardwood floors, and shrugged into her winter coat, then pulled her ear-flapped hat down over head. With a jaunty toss of her hand, she slipped out the door.

  Olivia shook her head and admired her younger sister’s energy and purpose. She turned to pull down a mug from the cabinet, fully intent on lingering over her first cup of coffee and then making breakfast before doing anything nearly so strenuous herself.

  She grabbed a bo
wl from the cabinet and set it on the island. Then she checked the contents of the fridge and loaded her arms with bacon, bread, eggs, and milk. She had just finished with the bacon and was in the process of placing the first slice of cinnamon French toast into the pan when Fiona came into the kitchen.

  “Good morning.” Fiona leaned over the pan and inhaled deeply. “One of the best things about staying overnight is waking up to your breakfasts in the morning. Need help?”

  “Nah, everything’s almost finished. Why don’t you pour yourself a cup of coffee and set the table.”

  The two girls fell back into the morning rhythm they’d established growing up over the years. Easy mornings like this were Olivia’s favorite. As she watched her sister tuck into her breakfast she was once again struck by how much she missed having them around the house.

  I’m too young to be experiencing empty nest syndrome. She shook her head and felt silly. It wasn’t as if Fiona had gone off to some far away college. Despite receiving many acceptance letters, she’d decided to stay close to home and chose Bowdoin College, which was only about fifteen minutes away in Brunswick, Maine.

  “I’ll probably head back to school after dropping you off at the shop,” Fiona informed her. “Any big plans for this afternoon?”

  “Not really. Just to get my car working and pick up a few things in town. I’ve been playing around with the idea of keeping the café open for dinners and want to start putting together a potential menu.”

  “That’s a great idea. I had no idea you were thinking about doing that.” She took a tentative sip of coffee, still hot enough to make her wince. Setting the mug down, she asked, “If you stay open, won’t you be crazy busy? I mean, you’d be waking up super early for the breakfast crowd and then trying to stay late for the dinner people. Don’t forget to keep some time for yourself.”

  “No, I know you’re right. I haven’t really figured that part of the equation out yet. It’s just something I’ve been considering.”

  “Well, I think it’s good you’re going to try something new. I know how you’ve always wanted to pursue your cooking career. Liz and I half wondered if you were planning on going back to culinary school now that we’re both out of the house.”

  “I’ll admit, the thought crossed my mind.” She sighed. “I don’t know. A part of me is tempted to do exactly that, but then I get this feeling like that ship has already sailed.”

  “Don’t be silly. People go back to school all the time. You’re not even thirty yet. There’s still plenty of time for you to pursue your dream if you want.”

  “True, but don’t forget, I also have employees at the café who count on me to keep it going. I feel like I’d be letting them down.”

  “I understand your concern for your employees. I love Jackie and Tom as much as you do. I’m sure if you talked to them, you guys could figure out a way to keep it running while you took classes.”

  She leaned forward and laid her hand over Olivia’s. “Sweetie, we just want you to be happy. We both know everything you sacrificed to take care of us. Whatever you decide, just know we’re behind you one hundred percent.”

  Olivia looked at her baby sister across the table and was struck once again by Fiona’s innate grace and beauty. Of all them, she was the one with the kindest heart and gentlest nature.

  Deciding it was time to change the subject, she asked, “So, tell me how your classes are going. What’s college life like?”

  Knowing her sister needed the distraction, Fiona bemoaned the fact that she had to take remedial math before she could move on to earn college credits. She discussed the irony in having a myopic English teacher, with coke-bottle-thick glasses, who could barely read the text from their required reading list, but wrote so small that nobody could read what he put on the board.

  She also talked about her work-study program working in the Hawthorne-Longfellow Library, and how she loved the wall of arched windows looking out onto the lawn. She’d met a lot of her fellow students while working the reference desk. As she listened, Olivia could tell that her sister was really happy with the transition to college.

  Finished with her meal, Fiona gave a satisfied sigh and pushed away from the table. “We should probably get going soon. Why don’t you head up and get ready, and I’ll take care of the dishes.”

  As Olivia trotted up the stairs, she considered what her sister had said earlier. It WAS time for her to start thinking about where she wanted to go from here. Should she fully commit to the café and the life she already had, or go back and try to pursue her previous dream?

  She’d always wanted to go into fine dining. If she started serving dinner at the café, would that sufficiently fulfill her vision? She shook her head. One thing was clear. She’d have to figure out what she wanted before she had any chance of making it come true.

  Chapter Eight

  Olivia hopped into her car, flipped on the heater, and danced a happy little shimmy in the driver’s seat. She patted her steering wheel as if consoling it for the trauma it had gone through. Glancing up, she noticed her sister heading towards her.

  The moment the window rolled down, her breath puffed out in short little streamers and the tip of her nose began to numb. The storm from last night had left the air scrubbed clean and the sky sparkling blue, but the day was still sharp and frosty. She could see little flakes of snow caught up and shimmering in the light breeze.

  “Livvy, we replaced the tires and made sure they were aligned. You should be good to go, but please be careful!”

  Smiling at her, Olivia realized last night must have scared Liz more than she had realized. It wasn’t like Liz to be the worrier. That was usually her department.

  “I really appreciate you getting it done so quickly. I promise I’ll be careful,” Olivia reassured her. “Since this took up half my day off, I think I’ll just run a few errands and then spend a quiet afternoon relaxing back at home. Did you want to come over again tonight?”

  “Nah, I’ll probably just crash upstairs after work. We’ve got quite a few cars still waiting in the shop, so it’s going to be an extra-long day around here.” She sighed and glanced back at the garage.

  Olivia laughed. “Well, at least you’ve got the shortest commute around. Paul couldn’t have found that house just outside of town at a better time.”

  “Tell me about it. Yeah, owning an apartment above where you work has its advantages. But don’t forget, it also means people think you’re always on-call. Anyway, I should probably get back. Just wanted to see you off. Love you, Livvy.”

  “You too. Don’t work too hard.” Giving her sister a final smile, she pulled out of the lot. She reminded herself to make a stop at the hardware store to replace the backdoor light bulb.

  Just as she spotted a parking space in front of the hardware store and began to turn the wheel, a beat-up sedan going in the other direction pulled a U-turn, swooped across from the other lane, and snatched the space from her.

  Jerk! “Hey! I was parking there!” She yelled from her window as the man climbed out of his car.

  The guy barely glanced up, shrugged his shoulders…and kept walking.

  What a snotty, self-centered, prick. After finding a spot a couple of blocks away, she glanced irritably at the offending vehicle. He’s lucky I’m not the kind of person to key someone’s car…even if they DO deserve it.

  Maybe it was just as well she had gotten this spot, since she found herself parked just outside the coffee shop. Might as well go in and get a cup.

  Chapter Nine

  Robert chuckled as he stepped out of the restroom, thinking about the indignation of the woman outside. Ordinarily, he would have tried to keep a lower profile and not draw attention to himself. However, he’d had to piss so badly that he’d have cut off anybody short of a cop.

  He walked up to the counter to order a drink and was surprised to find himself standing behind the woman who’d just yelled at him on the street.

  He listened to the dulcet ton
es of her voice as she ordered an almond latte. Interesting how her shrieking voice had morphed into smoke and honey. He wondered what else would create that kind of transformation.

  Dark fantasies began to flood his mind of taking her smart mouth and putting it to good use. He’d have her learning her place within a day. In a week, she’d be begging him for mercy.

  He noticed the way her worn jeans lovingly hugged the curve of her ass. Her long, dark hair flowed down past the middle of her back and his fingers clenched with the need to wrap the strands around his fist. Cautiously, he leaned forward and caught the faint scent of honeysuckle.

  Just then, she stepped back from the counter and practically into him.

  “Oh, excuse me!” Olivia exclaimed as she turned, startled. She stopped dead when she saw who it was. He watched with fascination as her initially warm expression cooled considerably while looking at him.

  “You shouldn’t stand so close behind someone. You’re liable to get stepped on.” She moved around him towards the pickup side of the counter.

  “My apologies,” he responded, with a mocking bow. One sardonic eyebrow shot up as his eyes raked down the front of her. Inwardly, he laughed at the way she shuddered in reaction to his look. Her emotions were so easily read as they flitted across her face.

  Oh yeah, this woman would have been a perfect replacement. Suddenly this little town had become very intriguing. He sighed. Too bad he was headed up to the cabin.

  He watched as she turned slightly, effectively trying to cut him off. After giving his order to the girl behind the counter, he took a few steps back towards her. Leaning a little closer, he propped his hip against the wall and took a moment to regard her profile as she studiously looked down at her phone, actively trying to ignore him.

  After a moment, Olivia blew out a puff of breath and shot him a glance. She shifted uncomfortably and looked away, scanning the café.